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Cranes of the World, by Paul Johnsgard Papers in the Biological Sciences

January 1983

Cranes of the World: 8. Cranes in Myth and Legend

Paul A. Johnsgard University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

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Johnsgard, Paul A., "Cranes of the World: 8. Cranes in Myth and Legend" (1983). Cranes of the World, by Paul Johnsgard. 11. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/bioscicranes/11

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Papers in the Biological Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Cranes of the World, by Paul Johnsgard by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Cranes in Myth and Legend

Wherever cranes occur in the world, their stature, morsel of food to a crane (Armstrong, 1979). Aristotle intelligence, wariness, and sociality have cap- and other early Greek writers believed that the feathers tured the human imagination and have given of cranes changed color with age. Thus, as humans age rise to a variety of legends, myths, and folktales. from black to gray and finally to white, so too were Among the best sources of such information for cranes thought to change from black through yellow to England and southern Europe are the manuscript white. On the other hand, later writers used the absence writings of Edward Topsell (1572-1625), which have of plumage changes in cranes as symbolic of constancy been edited and recently republished (1972). Topsell and singular endeavor. reported that "when fables ruled the world" it was Besides apparently contributing several letters to the believed that a proud queen of Pygmies named Oenoe Greek alphabet, cranes and their behavior are responsible or Gerania was turned into a crane by Juno and Diana, for several words that have gained general use. The because she taught her people to neglect other gods and geranium plant is so named for the seed capsule's worship her. Gerania thereafter began an irreconcilable resemblance to a crane's bill. The Latin congruere, war between cranes and Pygmies that has persisted ever meaning an agreement, is the origin of the English since. Much the same story appears in the Iliad of word congruence (Topsell, 1972).Soon after the Norman Homer. From this legend perhaps came the Greek name Conquest of England there was a general interest geranos or gereunos for cranes. Likewise, they were developed in genealogy, and the branching form of a sometimes known as the birds of Palamedes, since, at family tree was referred to as a "crane's foot," or pied de about the time of the Trojan Wars, the mythic hero grue, from which is derived the present word pedigree Palamedes reputedly invented several Greek letters by (Ingersoll, 1923). The calling of cranes, or iangling, watching the convolutions of flying cranes. The avian also gave rise to the modern English word jangling. genus Palamedea, however, was subsequently applied The migrations of cranes, marked by large flocks and to the South American crane-like birds known as clamoring calls, were well known to the Greeks and screamers. On the other hand, the Romans called cranes Romans, and were used to mark the changing of the grues, evidently because of their grunting voices. seasons. Topsell noted that the birds have keen senses of According to Topsell, even the African crowned sight, hearing, and smell. Further, like the kings of cranes were well known to Pliny and other early Roman Persia, the cranes have both summer and winter dwell- writers, and the Eurasian crane was even more familiar ings, and they follow certain limited and determinate to the early Romans, who were greatly impressed by its schedules during which they change their habitations. longevity. An Italian professor at Padua, Leonicus Thus, Pliny praised the regular order of crane and quail Tomaeus (1457-1533) reportedly maintained a crane in migrations, in which the quails regularly appeared one captivity for some forty years. Cranes were also evidently month before the cranes in spring and likewise departed raised as pets or fattened for the pot in ancient Greece. a month before them during fall. When the cranes were Plutarch referred to the practice of fattening them by about to leave Thrace they were believed to assemble in sewing shut their eyelids, which quiets the birds (from rank and order in the manner of soldiers. Before the which practice the English term hoodwinking derives), flock finally left, the oldest of the cranes would fly about and a design on an ancient Greek vase in the Hermitage in a circle three times, after which he would fall down Museum of Leningrad shows a seated woman offering a and die of exhaustion, to be buried by the others. After CRANES IN MYTH AND LEGEND this ceremony the rest would take flight toward Africa their throats with sand and also carried stones. Some to spend the winter. believed that the stone was carried by their feet, and Topsell noted that during flight, the birds attain Topsell suggested that perhaps the carrying of stones by unusual heights and fly in triangular formation, and the individuals that were swiftest of flight prevented that unlike other birds they fly both night andday. The them from flying so fast that they might outstrip and high flight was attributed to the birds' desire to see great lose contact with the slower ones. Pliny reported that distances ahead, and perhaps foresee the onset of rains after the cranes had crossed the Sea of Pontus and had or storms in order that they might avoid them. Further, dropped the stones that they were carrying in the feet for when at such heights the stragglers can better be ballast, they landed and cast up the sand carried in their observed and helped. The usual triangular formation, throats, which had by then been transformed into a like the Greek letter lambda, allows the birds to cut the perfect yellow stone. Through the help of fire, this air more readily, while during high winds they tend to stone could then be transformed into gold. fly in the form of a half-moon. When set upon by eagles, On their fall flight to Egypt the cranes were believed the birds were believed to assume the shape of a ring, or to choose a captain, since they knew they would meet that of a heart, in order that they might fly with greater with enemies there, but on their return flight to Europe courage and strength. It was noted that the birds they neither chose a captain nor posted watches. In their sometimes change places in formation, and by this choice of a guide, they select one of the strongest and regular changing of formation various letters of the oldest birds, which might be best able to find the proper alphabet are imitated. More remarkably, Cicero believed way and strong enough to withstand the wind. In the that each crane rested its head on the back of the bird middle of the flock the youngest and weakest birds fly, flying immediately ahead of it. The lead crane, having in order that they might be encouraged by those both in no bird to rest its head upon, eventually retired to the front and behind. Other watchmen and officers are end of the line, to place its head on the back of the placed at the rear, to call to the captain and inform him trailing bird, which had previously supported none. that all are following. The captain must not only fly in Topsell noted that the three most likely letters to have the foremost position and guide the flock properly, but been extracted from the flight of cranes, alpha, lambda, must also help stand guard while the flock rests at and upsilon, are probably not actually attributable to night. Many watchmen are also posted, while each of Palamedes, who was reputed to have invented several the others in the flock sleeps with one leg lifted and its new Greek letters from watching the formations of head under a wing. Plutarch stated that the birds stand cranes. Yet, M. Martial (AD 40-104), a Roman epi- their watch like Hercules, who leaned with his head and gramist, and Flavius 'Cassiodorus (c. 490-575) both hand upon his club. Thus the crane stands on one leg affirmed that the entire Greek alphabet was obtained and holds a stone in the claws of the other foot, so that if from the flight of cranes by the god Mercury. sleep should overtake the bird, it would drop the stone, Topsell observed that while in flight, cranes always awakening itself and the other sleeping birds (Topsell, treat the foremost of them as captain and arrange 1972). themselves so as not to obscure the view of the lead bird. According to Topsell, when the cranes have reached The older birds take turns being leader, and should any three years of age they leave the cold climates for their of the flock become weary before r eaching their destina- breeding grounds. Then the birds form couples, and the tions two other birds will take the tired individual on males fertilize their mates while the latter are standing their backs or wings, or support it with their outstretched upright rather than lying on the earth. In addition to legs. Topsell observed that t ranes I arely fly against the two eggs, a stone is also often "laid" in the nest, at least wind, except when being chased, and they also avoid in captivity. In one account, a male and female crane strong backwinds that might ruffle their feathers and that were being held in an orchard laid eggs and raised weaken them; of the two they prefer to fly against the two young. As the female led the young about, the wind. chicks would sometimes forsake her and follow the Many early writers believed that when cranes flew male instead. Once, after calling the young away from long distances they would swallow a heavy stone that their father, the female was viciously attacked and serked as ballast, to strengthen themselves against killed by the male. sudden gusts of wind. Others believed that the birds Topsell stated that cranes, like wild geese, eat all car lied the stone so that when nearing the end of their kinds of wild grain. He also noted that cranes feed on journey they could drop the stone and on hearing it serpents, and that in Thessaly (central Greece) were it land could determine whether they had crossed the not for the storks and cranes the people would be forced ocean or not. Yet others believed that the birds kept the to leave the country. Thus, people were forbidden by stones in their mouths to stop their voices and thus law to kill the birds, an immunity referred to as escape detection from eagles. Some, such as Aristotle, "antipelargia" (from the Greek palargos, or stork). denied this story, but Pliny believed that the birds filled Aristotle, Homer, and many other early authors CRANES OF THE WORLD believed that the cranes regularly engaged in warfare Cranes occur in many historical and allegorical with Pygmies, or geranomachian. These Pygmies were contexts, such as a city in Thrace (or Messinia) and a believed to live in caves and were called Troglodytes, mountain on the Megaris Peninsula near Corinth that and at times were thought to ride on the backs of various were called Gerania. Reportedly the latter, now called animals. According to Pliny, the Pygmies were driven Yerania, was so named because the people followed the out of Geranea, their first city, by cranes, and later made calls of flying cranes at the time of a flood, thus warfare with them, attacking with iron weapons and reaching higher ground and saving themselves from darts or by riding on the backs of rams and holding in drowning. The death of Ibycus is probably the most their hands a kind of clapper. They attacked the birds at famous of crane stories from ancient Greece. This poet the time of breeding, descending thus on their nesting of Rhegium (who lived about 550 KC.) was set upon by areas and destroying the birds and their eggs. This was robbers, and before expiring looked up to see cranes done only during the breeding period, for later in the flying overhead. With his dying breath he told the fall the arrival of other cranes might overthrow the robbers that the cranes would avenge him. Some time Pygmies by their very numbers. later, in the market place of Corinth the robbers saw the Topsell noted that cranes exhibit hostility toward cranes flying overhead, and one fearfully exclaimed to eagles and hawks, and when cranes see such predators the others, "Behold the cranes of Ibycus." On being they usually flee with haste and utter loud calls. Yet, thus overheard, the men were detained and questioned when there are enough cranes present to resist, he noted by the authorities, and later confessed their crime. that they would gather into a circle or ring and, with The sagacity of cranes, and the belief that they carried their heads lifted to the highest, would advance on the stones in their feet at night to keep them awake, are the eagle or hawk and force it to depart. Besides protecting basis for their frequent allegorical association with one another, cranes show a special love for their own intelligence. The flight of a crane signified a wise man young, and at times the pair will fight with one another who had studied astronomy or any other "lofty and over the education of their young. At such times, when sublime" study. Yet, a fool who handled divine matters the cranes are thus engaged in fighting, they are more wickedly or without true wisdom was also at times easily captured by men. A more cunning method of compared to a flying crane, and Plotinus believed that capturing cranes was recounted by Topsell. A bottle or such a man was eventually metamorphosed into a gourd is emptied and is coated with birdlime. Then a crane. The democratic form of government was com- bee is placed inside. When the crane hears the humming pared to the orderly behavior associated with cranes, in of the bee it thrusts its head inside to capture the insect, which all the populace participates in elections. Thus only to be caught fast by the head feathers and blinded. the word c0ngrue.r-e,to consent or agree, came from the Then the bird stands helplessly until it is capturedalive. unified and collective behavior of cranes. If a man From this practice a Russian fable perhaps arose in should live his entire life in a consistent and singular which a fox invited a crane to supper but prepared a manner, he was sometimes compared to a crane, for dish of broth, which the fox could readily lap up but although many other birds change their colors with which the crane was unable to take up with its beak. In age, the crane remains much the same in appearance return, the crane invited the fox to supper, putting meat throughout its life. Cranes were believed to give equal into a deep pot with a thin neck into which the crane honor to all, for their captains regularly give up their was able to reach but not the fox. lead in flight to go to the rear of the flock, and thus the Wild cranes were also captured or killed by the use of last becomes first, and the birds can live in freedom falcons or small eagles. In Germany, such large falcons without king or tyrant. Christians were told that they were called "crane falcons" or "girfalcons." Smaller must imitate cranes in their watchfulness, and avoid the falcons might also be used to force the cranes to the fall of sin in much the way that a crane avoids sleep by giound where they could be caught by dogs. holding a stone with its raised foot. Likewise, Christians Topsell noted that cranes fly remarkably swiftly, must help one another, with a mutual concern for the although they fly so high that from the earth it would weakest, in order that all might reach a final resting seem that they are actually flying very slowly. Further, place safely. And, as a crane adds ballast for its flight, a by flying at night as well as during the day, they are able Christian must ballast himself with the fear of God to cross great distances in a short time. At night they until he arrives in heaven, and at the end of the journey utter almost continuous calls to keep informed of their the ballast will turn to gold or to a precious stone positions, and by flying high enough to escape the (Topsell, 1972). shadow of the earth they actually are able to see well Cranes were often the sources of morality tales, as in enough to find their way. When the birds do sleep at the story of a group of cranes and geese feeding together night, they raise up one leg and place the head upon the in a field. They were soon approached by hunters. On wing, by which the heat of the body is transmitted to the seeing them, the cranes quickly took flight, but the brain; thus the bird is able to sleep more easily, heavier and fatter geese were unable to escape. Thus, in according to Topsell. times of war, the poor that have little or nothing might CRANES IN MYTH AND LEGEND easily flee while rich men cannot escape with all their pursuers in the water (Leach, 1972). Many cultures possessions and are soon caught and killed by the believe that cranes will sometimes carry small birds on enemy. their backs to help them on their long migrations. Thus With all this symbolism, it is not surprising that the Siberian Tartars believed that cranes transport cranes were believed to have special table and medicinal corncrakes southward, and Egyptians believed that qualities. Their flesh was considered useful against both cranes and storks carry small birds across the cancers, ulcers, palsies, and "winde in the gutts." Dried Mediterranean. Similarly, the Crow Indians of Montana powders of their flesh were used to treat cancers, ulcers, believed that the sandhill crane carries a small bird, the and fistulas, "nerves" from their wings and legs were napzte-shu-utl, or "crane's back," on its back. This believed to help a person recover his strength, and their small bird regularly accompanies the crane, and flutters bone marrow was used as an eye salve. Crane fat was up to settle on the bird's back when it takes off. At this placed in the ears to improve hearing and treat deafness, time the bird utters a chattering whistle, which is the and their "gall" was variously used to treat forgetful- basis for the Crow warriors' blowing a small bone ness or other maladies (Topsell, 1972). whistle when they go riding off to battle (Ingersoll, Although not noted by Topsell, the dances of cranes 1923). have attracted the attention of many cultures. The Not only do cranes often carry small birds on their somewhat circular movements of the crane's dance were backs, but at times they even steal humans, according to associated by ancients with the sun's seasonal move- the folklore of the Eskimos of the Bering Sea area: ments. The appearance of the cranes in the spring thus implied a resurgent sun-god, while their dancing One autumn day, very long ago, the cranes were epitomized both fertility and death. According to preparing to go southward. As they were gathered in Plutarch, when Theseus returned to Delos from Crete the great flock they saw a beautiful young woman after slaying the Minotaur, he and his friends danced standing alone near the village. Admiring hergreatly, the geranos or crane dance, going through the con- the cranes gathered about, arid lifting her on their widespread wings, bore her far up in the air and voluted motions of entering and leaving the Cretan away. While the clanes were taking her up they labyrinth (Rowland, 1979). Crane dancing has had its circled below her so closely that she c.ould not fall, counterparts in both eastern and western cultures, for and their loud, hoarse cries drowned out her calls for the Oskits of Siberia dressed in crane skins and per- help, so she was carried away and never seen again. formed funereal dances, and similar dances were asso- Ever since that time the cranes always circle about in ciated with Chinese funerals. In Australia, many of the autumn, uttering their loud cries while preparing to aboriginal tribes included crane dances in their corrob- fly southward, as they didat that time. (Nelson, 1896- orees. 97 In Chinese tradition the crane is a common symbol of longevity, and the soul of the dead is often represented The characteristic circling of the cranes was noted as riding to heaven on a crane's back. Likewise in fearfully by the slaves of Alabama, who believed that if a Chinese tradition, old pine trees sometimes tuln into crane circles over the house three times someone in the cranes, since both are long-lived, and the two are often family will soon die (Leach, 1972). The similarity of associated in both Chinese and Japanese art (Armstrong, this belief to Pliny's story of a crane circling three times 1979; Rowland, 1979). and then dying prior to migration of the rest of the flock As the Chinese culture gradually came to influence is noteworthy. A similar coincidence is the Egyptian Japan, the Japanese accepted the idea of a crane as a belief that the god Toth, whose symbol was the crane- symbol of longevity and gradually modified it to be an like ibis,was credited with inventing hieroglyphs (Row- emblem of joy. Since the ninth century, in Japan the land, 1979). cranes have been regarded as a symbol of happiness, and Two final crane legends from the Orient can be used typically in the marriage ceremony a design incorporat- to exemplify the strong emotional attachments between ing both the crane and the tortoise is used to symboli~e humans and cranes. The first, a Chinese legend, both happiness and longevity (Taka-Tsukasa, 1967; involves Tseng Ts'ang, a disciple of Confucius who Hattori, 1928). spared the life of a wounded crane. The crane flew In many parts of the world, such as Russia, Sicily, away, and later returned with its mate, each of them and India, the crane serves as an animal guide in carryinga pearl in its mouth, which they then presented various folktales, usually leading a younger brother to Tseng Ts'ang (Hattori, 1928). into various adventures. Often the slyness of cranes is In a Japanese legend, a nobleman who had lost his emphasized, as when a crane offers to transport fish to a wealth and retired to the country once saw a hunter who place where there are no fishermen, only to eat them. had captured a crane and was about to kill it. The Or, according to the North American Indians, Old nobleman begged the hunter to spare its life, but the Grandfather Crane helps others to cross a river by using hunter would only do so in return for the nobleman's his long legs as a bridge, and then later dumps their precious sword, his last possession of value. The 7 CRANES OF THE WORLD following night a young lady appeared at the door of Lastly, in the words of the Italian poet Lodovico the nobleman and asked him for shelter, explaining Ariosto (1474-1533), a brief poem on the majesty of that she had been driven from her home by a cruel cranes and their flight: stepmother and needed a place to stay. The nobleman And as wee see strainge Crane are wont to doe admitted her, and soon the two fell in love and were First stalke a while ere they their wings can finde, married. One day, the feudal lo~ddecided to have a Then soare from ground not past a yard or two, huntirlg party, and the woman was then forced to con- Till in their wings they gathered have the winde; fess that she was really the cranc that the nobleman had At last they mount the very cloudes vnto, saved, and that she must flee. Together they left, and Trianglewise according to their kind. went to live in the palace of her parents (Hattori, 1928). (Topsell, 1972).